"Not bad. To take that punch is truly stunning."

Qian Wu offered a word of praise.

Shen Bai chuckled. "That’s not all I’ve got, Lord Qian. Pay attention."

As he spoke, a thirty-foot-tall Dharma Golden Body rose up behind him. It raised its left fist and punched forward.

Having reached Level 6, the Vajra Dharma Form Fist had gained an additional Attribute: Fist Intent. This Fist Intent represented the wrath of the Furious Vajra.

Shen Bai’s hair bristled, and his vital energy surged. To an observer, he looked like a roused tiger.

Boundless fury merged with the terrifying Fist Gang of the punch, all of it converging within the thirty-foot-tall Golden Body Dharma Aspect. The power seemed capable of shattering mountains and splitting stone.

"To have grasped Fist Intent at such a young age... truly formidable."

Qian Wu couldn’t help but remark in admiration.

He raised his index finger, gently stirring the air around him.

The breeze became a gale, a massive tornado enveloping the incoming fist.

The two forces seemed locked in a tug-of-war.

But with a sudden shift in his footwork, Qian Wu sent a sliver of wind, curved like a willow-leaf saber, slashing diagonally toward Shen Bai. It bypassed the massive attack and shot toward Shen Bai’s waist.

Seeing this, Shen Bai executed Cold Moon Spin.

In his eyes, everything began to change.

A terrifying Array spread out from under his feet, encompassing the entire Martial Arts Arena.

Countless Dao Texts and shadows advanced in unison as a flow of water spread out before him, forming a barrier.

With this slash, the blood-red Sword Qi, empowered by various blessings, became like a terrifying grindstone—one that seemed ready to turn Heaven and Earth themselves into beans and crush them within its maw.

BOOM!

Another thunderous roar echoed through the air.

This time, both combatants retreated two steps as their attacks vanished into thin air.

The floor of the Martial Arts Arena had long since shattered, turning the stage into a field of rubble.

It was as if the entire Martial Arts Arena had suddenly sunk several inches.

The arena had been built with the sturdiest materials available, yet it couldn’t withstand the residual power of their exchange.

"Lord Qian, what level would you say my strength is at?" Shen Bai asked, his fingers brushing over the blade of Cold Moon.

A flicker of deep emotion crossed Qian Wu’s eyes. "From what I have seen, it is truly a case of Overcoming Adversity and Attacking Upward."

"You hear tales of such things, and they sound like illusions—flowers in a mirror, the moon on the water. But to witness it with my own eyes... it is to be awestruck, as if in the presence of a god."

"Shen Bai, in the future, you will very likely surpass me."

Shen Bai raised his Longsword and blurred into an afterimage, lunging toward Qian Wu. "The future is the future, and now is now. Right now, I just want a good, satisfying fight!"

Blood-red Sword Qi erupted, descending like an inverted crescent moon from the heavens.

"Alright! Then try this next move! Wind, come!"

Qian Wu let out a great shout.

A breeze as soft as willow branches coiled around his body, instantly exploding into a furious gale.

Qian Wu and Shen Bai clashed relentlessly. Each of their attacks held enough power to obliterate a warrior of the Unity Realm.

Even though Qian Wu was suppressing his power, he looked at Shen Bai with ever-growing astonishment.

’I’ve already suppressed my strength to the Void Realm, yet I can only fight him to a draw. Can he really fight across two entire Grand Realms?’

’If so, our trip to Nanxing Prefecture will go much more smoothly,’ Qian Wu thought.

"Lord Qian, you can’t get distracted in the middle of a battle," Shen Bai’s voice cut in.

A massive fist appeared right in front of Qian Wu.

Qian Wu snapped back to his senses. He crossed his arms, and a barrier of wind intercepted the Fist Gang, knocking him back several steps.

"Be careful, Shen Bai. This next attack won’t be so simple," Qian Wu warned.

He moved his fingers, and this time, the gale grew even more ferocious.

A tornado shot skyward, swirling around Qian Wu’s body from head to toe.

But then, at a speed visible to the naked eye, the tornado began to compress.

Finally, it formed a single thread of wind as fine as a strand of hair.

"With a whisper of wind, I slay the aberrant. Between heaven and earth, I walk alone."

Qian Wu stated calmly.

This hair-thin thread of wind shot toward Shen Bai at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye.

Shen Bai had been about to attack, but the moment he sensed the thread of wind, he was overcome by a feeling of mortal peril.

He froze, his expression turning grave as he watched the approaching wisp of wind.

A glow like white jade erupted from Shen Bai’s body.

The surrounding Qi had locked him in place. There was no dodging this attack; he could only meet it head-on.

’Meeting this attack with one of my own seems risky,’ Shen Bai thought. ’If that’s the case, I’ll focus on defense.’

White light condensed around Shen Bai’s left hand. It was as if the rest of his body had disappeared, leaving only his left hand, which became even more intensely pure.

Qian Wu was stunned to see Shen Bai meet the strand of wind with his left hand. He was about to shout a warning.

This move was one of his signature Ultimate Techniques. Even when performed with his power suppressed, it was still terrifyingly potent.

The seemingly innocuous, hair-thin wisp of wind concealed the terrifying power of a tornado, made even more destructive by the compression.

If Shen Bai tried to block it head-on, Qian Wu feared he would be gravely injured.

But before he could utter the words, the wisp of wind made contact with Shen Bai’s left hand.

On his left hand, layers upon layers of white light stacked up like a mountain range. The wisp of wind pushed forward relentlessly, yet with every inch it gained, a fraction of its power was ground away.

His Flawless Ten Layers Body, compressed and focused using its new Attribute, possessed a level of defensive power that was, in that moment, terrifying to behold.

An incessant roar filled the air amidst explosions of wind and flashes of white light.

Even Liu Wufeng and the others had to retreat dozens of steps to brace against the residual power of the clash.

As the gale gradually subsided, Liu Wufeng and the others immediately fixed their gazes on the stage, desperate to see the outcome.

On the stage, the white light around Shen Bai’s hand still shone, while the hair-thin gale had long since vanished without a trace.

He had actually dispelled it!

Everyone’s eyes went wide in disbelief.

Elder Mu was incredulous. "Lord Qian’s ’Hair-Thin Slash of Gods and Demons’ is his signature Ultimate Technique, yet Shen Bai neutralized it with his bare hands! His defensive power... it’s simply terrifying."